Kerbed wheels? Alloy wheel repair and refurbishment options explained

There are few things worse than the thud of a wheel hitting a pothole or the scraping sound when it touches a kerb. Help is at hand, however, as you can have alloy wheels repaired and refurbished to look like new, rather than having to spend a substantial sum on a new one.

Lots of companies offer alloy wheel repairs and restoration, whether it’s because of damage or just general wear and tear. The good news is it’s a cost-effective way to give your car back its sparkle and it can make it easier to sell your car for a higher price.

What is alloy wheel repair?

Alloy wheel repair covers a number of processes depending on the wear and damage to the wheel.

Most alloy wheels begin to look faded or the outer layer of protective lacquer starts to peel with age. This can lead to slow punctures, so it’s better to have the car’s alloy wheels refurbished sooner than later. This also smartens up the look of the car and helps its kerb appeal when you want to sell.

More serious damage includes kerbing that has gouged the edge of the wheel or a pothole impact that leaves the wheel bent or cracked. Depending on how serious this is, a wheel can often be repaired by a professional to save you the cost of a new alloy.

How does alloy wheel repair work?

If you want your car’s alloy wheels to look like new, a professional firm will remove the tyres and strip off all the old lacquer and paint to leave the wheel in its bare alloy state. Alternatively, you could remove the wheels yourself and deliver them to the repair workshop if you need to keep the car in use on a spare set of wheels.

If there’s no damage to be repaired, the wheel is then primed and a shiny new coat of paint applied. When that has dried, a top coat of lacquer is sprayed on. This is then allowed to cure and dry, sometimes in a warm oven, before it is polished to look like new.

Wheels that have damage will need more work once they are stripped to the bare metal. Kerb damage and minor scuffs can be filled, sanded and smoothed before they go for paint. More serious damage such as corrosion, cracks or dents will need to be removed and repaired. This can involve welding cracks, pushing out dents or deep sanding to remove corrosion. Once repaired, the wheel must be balanced to make sure it’s true and round, and then it is treated to the same paint and finishing process.

In place of painting the wheel, you could opt for powdercoating. This involves an electrostatically applied powder that sticks to the wheel due to the electric charge. It is then baked to produce a durable, shiny finish.

Is it worth fixing a damaged alloy wheel?

A replacement alloy wheel for a modern car can be very expensive, and the larger the wheel, the more it costs. This makes alloy wheel refurbishment and repair decent value if the wheel is in a good enough condition to be saved.

You may not want to spend money on your car if you are looking to sell it, but scruffy alloy wheels will put off lots of buyers. A shiny set of wheels attracts buyers and shows you have looked after the car, so it can make for a quicker sale and help get a higher price.

Can all alloy wheel damage be fixed?

The amount of damage and wear to an alloy wheel will decide if it can be repaired or not. Major dents or cracks can make the wheel unsafe to repair, although it is amazing what a professional alloy repair firm can achieve.

Welding alloy wheels is a specialist job and not all cracks or splits can be fixed. Ask the advice of a wheel repair expert and always put safety first.

If an alloy wheel has been repaired before, whether it’s a crack, gouge or buckle, it might not be possible to apply a second fix. Again, ask an expert for their advice.

How much does alloy wheel repair cost?

The cost of alloy wheel repair or refurbishment depends on a number of points. The first is the size and style of the wheel, with larger alloys costing more to make as good as new again.

A second factor is the finish of the original wheel, and if you want to replicate this. A simple repaint and lacquer is the cheapest option, but you might want to go for a different finish with more metallic sparkle in the finish or a unique shade. That adds to the cost.

Another element that can increase the cost is if the wheel has a diamond-cut finish, which is a highly polished aluminium finish on the wheel design’s outer face. This is done by milling a very fine layer of the wheel away. That takes time and skill, which adds to the expense, and it can only be done once or twice.

Lastly, if the wheel needs more than minor cosmetic repairs – perhaps if it requires a dent removed – a bigger bill is inevitable.

With all of that in mind, the average cost of repairing and refurbishing an alloy wheel is between £50 and £120 per wheel. This is still good value when a new, average-sized alloy wheel can easily cost more than £350.

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